IZ 


mo 


D^Q^ablY 


#6/jf 


No.  11§. 


ANGELJJCLY. 

A>'    INCIDENT    IN    THE    LIFE     OF    THE     CHILD    ANUKL.] 

BY  MRS.  MARY  A   DENISON. 


Although  a  wonderful  child,  Lilly  was 
by  no  means  a  grave,  unearthly,  precooious 
little  one.  Her  sraile  was  as  sunny  as  her 
hair,  and  her  eyes  were  always  laughing. 
Sho  was  indeed  a  beam  of  light  wherever 
seen.  At  night  of  her  lovely  face  the  stern 
visages  of  worldly  men  relaxed,  and  the  old 
always  held  open  arms  for  her.  She 
warmed  their  hearts  with  her  happy,  arte 
less  prattle.  One  day  her  mother  took  her 
on  board  of  a  Bteamboat",  on'a  pleasure  ex- 
cursion. At  h'rst  Lilly  looked  grave,  find? 
ing  hersoli  amo'  g  so  many  strange  people, 
but  spying-  at  the  farther  end  ol  the  saloon 
a  venerable  man,  who  held  a  little  girl  by 
the  hand,  she  begged  her  mother  to  let 'her 
go  and  sec  the   rosy-chocked  child...   1>h-s. 

was  not  afraid  to  trust  Lilly.     If  she 

said,  'Lilly,'rememl)er  and  do  not  go  out 
of  the  door  or  by  the  "window,  she  knew 
that  she  might  rely  upon  the  sweet  child's 
implicit  obedience.     So  away  went  Lilly, 

sr 


her  beantiful  great  eyes  shining,  her  step 
still  rather  slow,  but  when  she  got  near  the 
child  she  looked  for  a  moment  in  her  little 
chubby  face,  and  smile  answered  smile; 
the  two  quickly  understood  each  other,  and 
were  soon,  busily  playing  together.  The 
old  gentleman  regarded  them  with  a  look 
of  interest  that  was  not  lost  upon  Lilly,  so 
by-and-bye  sliding  up  to'  his-  knees,  she 
asked — 

'  Is  that  yonr  little' girl  ?' 

4  Yes,  dear,'  was  the  reply,  i  at  least  .she 
is  my  little  grand  daughter.' 

<  Are  you  her  grandpa  V 

'  Yes,  dear.' 

4 1  got  a  grandpa,'  said  Lilly,  with  that 
sweet  coaxing  way.  that  is  in  some  children 
so  irresistible,  'and  he's  a  good  man  and 
loves  Jesus.     Do  you  love  Jesus  ?' 

The  old  man  looked  at  her  with  a  strange 
expression,  but  did  not  speak. 

4  Say  !  you  love  Josus,  don't  you  ?  Don't 
you  love  Him  because  He  died  to  save  you  ? 
Say,  dmU  yo.tt  love  Jesus  ?' 

4  My  little  child,'  murmured- the  old, 
white-headed  man,  and  his  lips  began  to 
quiver. 

She  looked  at  him  earnestly,  thoughtful- 
ly— then  a  grieved  expression  crossed  her 
sweet  face,  and  she  said,  softly— '  You  do 
love  Jesus,  don't  you  V 


3 

1  My  little  One— all,  I  wish  I  did — I  wish 
I  did!'  and  he  shook  his  head  mournfully. 
For  one  moment  she  stood  gazing  ou  the 
floor,  then  flying  from  the  knee  where  she 
had  been  resth.g,  she  sought  her  mother, 
caught  hold  of  her  hanj,  and  saying,  '  Oh  ! 
I  mamma,  that  little  girl's  grandpa  over  there, 
don't  love  Jesus  ;  wont^ou.  come  and  tell 
him  he  must.' 

The  child  would  take  no  denial,  hut  be- 
sought with  such  earnestness,  that  her  moth- 
er was  fain  to  go,  and  seat  herself  by  the  old 
man's  side,  after  which  Lilly,  feeling  perfect- 
ly assured  that  the  old  man  would  soon  love 
Jesus  whether  he  had  before  or  not,  resumed 
her  merry  play  with  her  little  new-found 
companion* 

Mrs. sat  for  some  time  silent  and  em- 

.barrassed  where  her  daughter  had   escorted 
her. 

'  That's  a  wonderful  little  one,'  said  the  old 
gentleman,  after  he  had  mastered  hi* 
emotion. 

6  O  1  no,  sir,  a  very  pleasant,  good  child, 
but  there  is  nothing  wonderful  about  her,' 
replied  the  mother. 

'  Madam,  pardon  mo — but  no  one  ever 
took  that  much  interest  in  me  before,  to  ask 
me  the  simple  question  that  child  put  to  me, 
and  I  am  now  in  my  eighty-third  year.' 


)a.my 


'The  Bible,  sir,  you  know,  says  that  out  of 
the  mouths  of  babes  and  suckling  God  hath 
ordained  praise. '- 

4  A"h  !  yea,  I  remember— I  read  my  Bible 
a  great  deal,  madam,'  and  be  sighed  heavily. 

*  And  you  hnj  comfort  in  its  truths  I  hope- 
sir  f 

i  No,  madam.  I  have  for  many  years  been 
shaping  the  scriptures. to  suit  some  peculiar 
views  of  mine,  and  so  busy  and  zealous  have 
I  been  that  I  have  given  no  attention  to  it, 
as  a  saving  medium.  .  "When  your  child  put 
that  question  to  me,  madam,  I  seemed  sud- 
denly to  awake,  as  it  were,,  out  of  a  slumber 
of  ages;'  and  again  he  smhed  heavily. 

4 1  think,  sir,' said  Mrs.  ,  4  if  you  would 

not  disdain  so  humble  an  instrument:,  my  lit- 
tle daughter,  as  she  lias  perhaps  begun  tho 
good  work,  might  lead  you  to  the  truth.' 

'  The  boat  is  stopping,  madam,'  said  the  old 
gentleman,  then  he  added,  eagerly,  '  will  you 
accompany  me  to  my  home?  ft  will  be 
pleasanter  than  the  hot  grove,  at  this  hour 
of  the  day,  and  I  would  talk  more  with  that 
angel  child.' 

His  new  faund  friend  consented,  and  they 
walked  together,  for  some  moments,  the  lit- 
tle children  hand  in  hand,  until  they  came  in 
sight  of  a  splendid  mansion.  A  park,  dotted 
with  beautiful  timber  lay  .in  front,  an 4  the 


sun  brightened  its  open  paths,  and  threw 
threads  of  light  in  among  the  shadowed  fo- 
liage spreading  broadly  over  the  green.  This 
led  into  a  garden  well  laid  out,  blooming 
with  various  flowers.  The  glass  roof  of  a  large 
conservatory  gHtttered  in  the  red  light  of  that 
noon  hour,  and  through  its  transparent  win- 
dows the  lemon  and  the  orange  could  be 
seen. 

They  entered  the  house.  It  wore  an  air  of 
grandeur,  and  every  room  was  adorned  with 
rich  and  costly  furniture. 

'0  1  what  a  happy  house!'  cried  angel 
Lilly. 

4  She  means,'  said  her  mother,  smiling, 
'  that  everything  is  so  beautiful,  one  ought 
to  be  happy  hero.' 

Again  came  that  sigh  welling  up  from  the 
heart  of  the  aged  man,  and  he  shook  his  head 
sadly,  holding  out  his  arms  to  the  child. 

'  Gome  to  me,  and  tell  me  how  I  may  love 
Jesus,'  he  said. 

k  Why,  don't  you  love  Him  yet?  she  cried, 
looking  from  him  to  her  mother. 

'  Is  it.  so  easy  then,  my  sweet  child?' 

4  Why,  it's  so  easy  you  can't  help  it,'  said 
the  little  one,  simply.  4  Mothei  says  she 
loves  'me  dearly  when  I'm  good,  and  how  can 
yon  help  loving  Jesus  who  is  good  all  the 
time  V 


.       6 

cJDo  you  think  he  loves  me?' 

'O!  I  Jcnoiv  He   does,'   replied -the  child, 
earnestly. 

The  eyes  of  the  aged  unbeliever  filled  with 
tears,  as  he  said,  'Then,  surely,  if  He  loves 
me,  who  has  been  always  so  ungrateful  to* 
wards  Ilim,  1  ought  to'  love  Him.  Thank 
God  !  I  see  it  in  a  new  light,'  he  murmured 
to  himself.  '  O  !  madam,  how  can  I  ever  be 
thankful  enough  that- 1  met  this  angel? 
Surely,  if  I  seek  Him  He  will  be  found.' 

In  her  own  sweet  way  the  mother  of  little 
Lilly  unfolded  the  plan  of  salvation  to  tliis 
hoary-headed  sceptic — removing  his  impres- 
sions where 'they  conflicted  with  the  truth, 
and  when  she  left  him,  he  had  humbled  him- 
self in  prayer  and  promised  not  to  give  up 
his  search  till  he  had  found  the  Saviour 
precious  to  his  soul. 

It  was  perhaps  a  week  after  this  conversa- 

,  tion  that  the  mother  of  Lilly  received  a  letter 

from  the  old  gentleman,  in  which  he  wrote, 

glad  tidings  of  great  joy  ;   uow  he  loved  the 

Saviour. 

'  Ask  my  little  angel,'  he  added,  '  what  she 
would  most  like  to  have  me  buy  for  Jier.  It 
must  be  something  very  beautiful  and  very 
costly.  I  am  curious  to  know  what  she  will 
say.' 

i  What  shall  the  good  old  man  buy  for  you, 


Lilly  V  asked  her  mother,  as  she  read  the  lat- 
ter part  of  his  letter. 

4  For  me,  mother  V 

4  He  says  he  will  get  3Ton  whatever  you 
wish,  no  matter  what  it  costs.' 

1 0 1  mother,  will  he !'  and  Lilly  clapped 
her  hands.  '  Will  he  buy  a  whole  new  li- 
brary for  our  Sabbatli  School?  O!  that 
would  be  so  nice  !' 

4  Always  another — never  self,'  thought  the 
gratified  parent,  as  the  tears  came  into  her 
eyes.  Then  she  added  aloud,  4  JVell,  daugh- 
ter, I  will  tell  him  what  you  want.' 

Before  the  next  Sabbath  a  new  and  beau- 
tiful library  graced  the  Sabbath  School  room 

of  L ,  and   Lilly's   eyes   sparkled  like 

diamonds  as*  she  heard  the  superintendent 
tell  that  it  was  a  gift  through  one  of  the  Sab- 
bath School  scholars.  Was  it  not  strange 
that  .every  eye  turned  toward  the  beaming 
face  of  angel  Lilly  ?  No  ;  for  they  knew  that 
she  delighted  in  such  deeds.  And  when  the 
questions  came  pouring  in  upon  her,  4  Was 
it  you?  was  it  you?'  her  childish  answer 
was— 

4  Yes  ;  arn't  you  glad  we've  got  such  a 
beautiful  library?'" 

That  old  man  lived  to  build  a  house  unto 
the  Lord,  and  when  it  was  completed,  and 
they  told  him    that  angel  Lilly  lay  in  her 


s 


white  robes,  pale  and  motionless,  his  only  re- 
ply was,  as  he  wiped  the  tears  from  -i  1  i .3  fur- 
rowed cheek,  and  pointed  to  the  new  and  el- 
egant edifice —  „ 

'There  is-her  monument!' 


O  Lord  our  Lord,  how  excellent  is  thy 
name  in  all  the  earth!  who  hast  set  thy 
glory  above  the  heavens. 

Out  of  the  mouth  of  babes  and  suck- 
lings hast  thou  ordained  strength  because 
of  thine  enemies,  that  thou  mightest  still 
the  enemy  and  the  avenger. 

®  Lord  dur  Lord,  how  excellent  is  thy 
name  in  all  the  earth  ! 


Hollinger  Corp. 
pH  8.5 


